Not-so-special teams hinder Huskies chances

LOS ANGELES – While the Huskies’ offense struggled to execute and protect quarterback Keith Price, and the defense committed costly penalties and missed tackle after tackle, the UW special teams made some costly mistakes in the 40-17 loss to USC.

The UW specials teams committed two key errors that played a big role in the loss.

The first came in the second quarter with USC leading 7-3. It appeared that Washington had gotten a key stop and forced the Trojans into fourth-and-9 at their 45-yard line.

USC lined up to punt. Only the kick never came.

Punter Kyle Negrete faked as if he was going to punt the ball, then took off up the middle.

“We watched a lot of film and saw a look that would allow us that fake,” Negrete said. “We called it and executed it perfectly. I haven’t seen green grass like that since I was in high school.”

Negrete gained 35 yards on the play, and he wasn’t touched by a UW player for the first 33 yards of it. As if it wasn’t bad enough, Negrete plowed over Anthony Gobern as he made the tackle.

“The coaches told me to slide, and I told them, ‘No way,’ ” Negrete said.

It changed the momentum. Instead of being down 7-3 with the ball, Washington was down 14-3.

“The guys responsible for the fake didn’t see it,” Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian said.

It wasn’t a surprise to Gobern.

“We practiced that fake punt and you were supposed to pick up a certain guy and somebody just missed him,” he said. “I just had to come down and do the best I could.

“We were setting up our return like we normally do, we just didn’t get our fake checks down and it only takes one guy to not get it to lead to a big play like that.”

But it took more than one guy “not to get it” to start the third quarter, when Marqise Lee returned the opening kick 88 yards for a touchdown. The Huskies’ Jesse Callier had a chance to make a touchdown-saving tackle, but Lee easily foiled Callier’s attempt.

“The guy ran into a pile,” Sarkisian said. “We were all around him, and he went around us. From what I could tell, that’s what it looked like. I was really surprised we didn’t tackle him.”

REALLY OFFENSIVE

The Huskies’ offensive line struggled for the second consecutive week, giving up a season-high seven sacks – one week after giving up six sacks against Oregon.

“There were some issues up front,” Sarkisian said. “I knew it would be a tough matchup for us. They have some tremendous defensive linemen. But our identification was poor. We didn’t block guys a couple of times.”

But it wasn’t just the pass blocking. Chris Polk had no room to run and was held to 36 yards on nine carries.

Like earlier in the week, members of offensive line declined to speak to the media.

But Sarkisian spoke loud and clear that their play was unacceptable. He hinted earlier the week that changes might be made. Micah Hatchie replaced Erik Kohler at right tackle in the middle of the third quarter. More could be coming to a unit that has started the same five players all season.

“We’re going to consider it even more this week,” Sarkisian said.

RUINED BY REPLAY

With the Huskies on their 10-yard line, freshman tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins appeared to haul in a 23-yard pass from Keith Price to give some much-needed breathing room.

The ball came out as Seferian-Jenkins hit the ground, and referees initially ruled it a fumble that Seferian-Jenkins recovered. However, replay officials stopped the game to check on the play.

“I thought he had it,” Price said.

Sarkisian wasn’t quite so sure.

“I knew it was going to be a bang-bang play – that’s part of the reason why we kind of hurried up to the ball, but we couldn’t get the ball snapped,” he said.

Replay officials ruled that Seferian-Jenkins didn’t control the ball, making it an incomplete pass and forcing third down.

On the next play, center Drew Schaeffer snapped the ball over Price’s head, resulting for a safety for the Trojans.

Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483 ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/uwsports